


Bad Dream

by Niokuma



Series: Hauntober [11]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, Hauntober, Nightmare
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:34:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26945266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Niokuma/pseuds/Niokuma
Summary: Rio has a bad dream.
Series: Hauntober [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948978





	Bad Dream

**Author's Note:**

> Rated T for Safety  
> Original Work for Hauntober Prompt =Nightmare=  
> Characters: Mae, Rio, Robert, Nioku, Mary, Azmaria, Tiok, Elmira, Bashinol, Luna

=Nightmare=

“This place was hard to find,” Mae complained when she finally arrived. Her silver hair somehow caught a sliver of reflected sunlight off the last quarter moon that slipped through the clouds. “I got a pouch of salt and some jade.” From her black and silver jacket that made her look like a marshmallow, she produced a baggie half-filled with salt and a small jade figurine of a western-style dragon. “It's the least favorite of my figurines.”

“Thanks,” Rio said, accepting the items from her. “What do we do now, Robert?”

“Robert?” Mae took in Robert's appearance and then her eyes went wide. “Isn't that a Whisperer!? What are you doing with it!?”

“We're trying to help him move on,” Rio answered. Nioku nodded his head in agreement as he just stood off to the side, hands shoved in his sweater pocket. “His sister left him in the attic to die and then after she died, presumably from a traumatic death, she became a wraith and lured people into the home, blaming Robert for it and then kills them, consuming their life essence and getting more powerful. We don't know how long it's been going on for, but she's a Dire Wraith now.”

“Whoa,” Mae said, almost falling to the ground. “That's something. How are we going to force her to move on?”

“Unlike the standard ectoplasmic entity, we can't just coat the body in salt and burn it,” Rio sighed out. “If she were a standard wraith, all we'd have to do is disrupt her ectoplasmic form with a cold iron weapon and some salt, but she's not standard. She's dire. She's developed taint, uh, super evil necrotic power if you will, so we have to use jade, the only thing that can absorb taint, to weaken her then we can weaken her further with the purest salt we can get a hold of, which in this case, that pink Himalayan salt, which is the best and purest salt ever, then finally, we slice her head off with a cold iron weapon.”

“We don't need an exorcist or holy water,” Mae asked, chuckling. “That's a relief.”

“An exorcism of the house would be best, but we don't have the time to get a qualified priest from the Vatican. We have to do things on our own. Mom and Tiok are inside as her prisoners. She says if we give her Robert, she'll return them, but the problem will persist. Additionally, I don't believe her. We need to finish Mary off.”

“I’ll come with you,” Mae stated. “Nioku, you watch Robert.” She spun around, hair shimmering in what little light there was, and walked off.

“May I borrow the book since you won’t be coming with us,” Rio asked and Robert nodded, picking up a small stick and putting it in the book as if it were a bookmark. “Thanks. We’ll be back out as soon as we’re done.” He stood and followed after Mae.

\---

“You return with the book! Give it here!” Mary was hovering in the center of the foyer, looking down at Rio and Mae.

“No,” Rio said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out the jade dragon figurine and Mary furrowed her brow. Rio then threw it at Mary but it didn’t seem to affect her as it phased through her.

“What was that supposed to do,” she asked, laughing.

“Not what I thought would happen,” Rio said, eyes going wide. He quickly consulted the book and read through the page. “It has to be a jade weapon?”

Mary pointed a hand at Rio and Mae, sending forth a blast of white energy. Rio dodged aside but Mae was struck. She screamed out in pain and crumpled into a heap where she stood.

“Mae, are you alright,” Rio asked, scrambling to her. He put his head to her chest and heard her heart beating. He sighed in relief and looked at Mary. “Where are you keeping Azmaria and Tiok?”

“Nowhere you’ll be able to find them,” she chuckled out. “Give me that book and bring me Robert if you want them to live!” She hovered closer and lower to Rio, hand outstretched, ready to take the book.

“Never,” Rio cried out. “Pocket salt!” He threw some of the salt at Mary who screeched out. Rio scrambled across the floor to his phone and pocketed before turning around and throwing more sand at Mary who screeched again.

Mary pointed a hand at Mae as she looked at Rio. “Since you won’t behave, I’ll have to take that one too.” A beam of white energy shot from Mary’s outstretched hand and encased Mae completely. It then faded and Mae was no longer there. “Your conditions are set but your time limit is thirty minutes. I tire of you. Bring Robert and give me him and the book and I’ll return your family to you.”

“You’ll just continue to kill people,” Rio growled out, standing. “You’re not getting Robert! You’re not keeping my family!” He scooped up the jade dragon figurine and ran at her, slashing her with the dragon’s horns.

As the horns struck through her form, she cried out in pain and watched as her incorporeal form was torn.

“Well, what do you know, I don’t need a weapon,” he stated and she blasted him with both hands, sending Rio through the wall separating the foyer and kitchen.

\---

“Rio, get up,” Azmaria called out. Rio opened his eyes and sat up, looking around.

Dark blue walls, plush beige carpet, and a light blue comforter on the bed.

There was a knock on his door and it slowly opened. Tiok was standing there but there was something off about him. His black hair was in shambles, like usual, and he was wearing a green pajama set with sports balls on it. “Yo, bro, come on down for lunch. It’s past noon. Come and eat.”

“What’s for lunch,” Rio asked, rubbing his eyes and yawning. He felt exhausted.

“Pancakes,” Tiok answered. “Tasty, golden-brown pancakes. With honey.”

“I’ll be down in a bit,” Rio said, stretching and climbing out of bed.

Rio went over to the standing mirror and looked himself over. His short hair was well-groomed and his dark eyes seemed had bags under them. He was wearing just light blue pajama bottoms.

“Did I always have short hair,” Rio asked himself, brow furrowed. He shrugged it off and quickly went downstairs where Nioku and Tiok were sitting with their mom.

Nioku was playing some sort of handheld video game while shoving an occasional bite of pancake in his mouth. His black hair was held in a small ponytail and his hazel eyes stayed glued to the screen.

“Hi, darling,” Azmaria said, kissing Rio on the forehead. “Did you dream well?”

“Yeah,” Rio said, slowly walking to an empty seat.

“Nioku, can you get your dad up?”

“No need,” a smooth voice said. Rio looked up and saw a tall, Japanese man standing there wearing a gray-scale gradient kimono. His long, black hair was in a top knot and his arms were across his torso, hands in the sleeves of his kimono.

Azmaria smiled as Elmira pecked her on the cheek. “You were up so late last night working on your new book, I didn’t think you’d be up by now on your own.”

“I finished the last chapter shortly after you went to sleep,” he explained. “Now I have time before the editor comes for my manuscript.”

“Awesome,” Nioku cried out, pumping his fists into the air, cheering himself on. “I got past level thirty-seven!”

Ignoring Nioku, Azmaria handed Elmira a plate with freshly made pancakes and he pecked her on the cheek again, joining the triplets at the table.

“This, this feels wrong,” Rio uttered to himself. Everyone looked at him, confused.

“Are you okay, bro,” Tiok asked.

Rio shook his head. “I don’t know, but this just feels wrong for some reason.”

“Maybe you’ll feel better after your soccer practice,” Azmaria suggested. “Eat and then get changed into your soccer uniforms, boys. You’ve got practice in about an hour and a half.”

“Yeah, sure,” Nioku said, putting aside his game and wolfing down the remainders of his pancakes. He hopped off his chair, smoothed out his shirt over his flat stomach.

At that moment, Rio saw Nioku’s hair a mess with crimson streaks, and his shirt held tight against a gut. His eyes were now crimson as he moved.

Nioku caught him watching. “What’s wrong, Rio?”

“I, uh,” Rio shook his head and Nioku was back to his flat, monochromatic hair color and hazel-eyed self. “Nothing.”

“Okay,” Nioku said and then dashed off.

“You alright, darling,” Azmaria asked, placing a hand on Rio’s forehead. “Hmm, you look sick.”

“I’m fine, I don’t think I slept well last night,” Rio answered.

“Well, you were up late chatting with that girl, Mary,” Tiok said, wiggling his eyebrows. “You think she’s the one?”

“Shut up,” Rio said, rolling his eyes.

“Who’s Mary,” Elmira asked.

“His girlfriend,” Tiok replied.

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Rio said. “She’s just a friend who happens to be a girl.”

“Okay,” Tiok said, shrugging.

“Hurry up and eat you two,” Azmaria stated. “I don’t want to be late for my hair appointment.” Tiok and Rio nodded and quickly finished eating before hurrying up and changing into their soccer uniforms.

\---

“I’ll be back after your practice is over,” Azmaria said, dropping Rio, Tiok, and Nioku off at the park. “Behave.”

“We always do,” Tiok said, grinning cheekily. For a brief moment, he had spiky blue hair and Rio shook his head again. He looked back at Tiok and his hair was black again.

“Rio, if you’re not feeling well, just tell the coach,” Nioku said, patting Rio on the shoulder.

“No, I’m fine,” Rio stated. “Just a little sleepy. I just need a coffee or something to wake me up.”

“How about a sports drink instead,” Tiok asked, offering his.

“Oh, gross, I don’t want your backwash,” Rio said.

Tiok shrugged and the trio went to their coach.

“Hey, coach Bashinol, Rio’s not feeling too fantastic,” Nioku said, pointing to Rio. “Can he sit out some this practice?”

“Yeah, we can’t have him passing out on the field,” he stated. “Gives Luna a chance to play some.”

“Awesome,” a girl cried out, cheering. Her long, black hair flowed behind her as she moved and her silver eyes sparkled.

“Okay everyone, we’re going to have a practice match so I can see your forms and such,” Bashinol called out. He brushed a hand over his short, silvery hair as his blue eyes scanned the clipboard in his hand. “Alright. Nioku, you’re on keeper duty. Tiok, you’re center striker.” He went on, pointing kids to their places and when everyone was set, the practice game started.

As Rio watched, Nioku and Tiok would occasionally flash to a different, more familiar version of themselves but Rio just passed it off from being tired.

Suddenly, Luna slipped and fell onto the field after kicking the ball and she cried out.

“Luna, are you alright,” Nioku cried out, rushing to her side.

For a moment, she had a boline dagger sticking out of her chest. Rio’s breath caught in his chest and he shook his head.

“I, I think I’m going to be sick,” Rio whimpered out. Nioku helped Luna to her feet and walked her over to the bench next to Rio who looked her over. “Are you alright,” Rio asked and she nodded.

Mae took the field in Luna’s place.

“Back hurts a little bit,” she answered, smiling. “Other than that, I’m fine. I just lost my footing is all.”

“Glad you’re okay,” Rio said as the image of the boline dagger sticking out of her chest struck his mind again. He shuddered.

“Are you okay,” she asked and Rio shook his head.

“I don’t think so,” he answered. “I’ve been having weird visions all day.”

“What visions,” Mary asked, walking up and sitting down next to Rio. “Are you alright?”

“I, I think so,” Rio said, shrugging.

He looked at Mary and went pallid. She was pure white. Her hair, skin, eyes, even her clothes. He blinked a couple of times and she was normal. Her long, pale brown hair was held in a bun by a scrunchy and her green eyes looked him over suspiciously.

“Coach, I need to go to use the toilet,” Rio said and Bashinol waved him away, his long hair fluttering in the wind as he motioned away. Wait, long hair? Rio took another look at Bashinol’s short hair before taking off to the restroom.

\---

“What’s going on,” Rio muttered out, looking at himself in the mirror as the water ran warm. “I feel like I’m-” He lost his pancakes in the sink and rinsed out his mouth before cleaning up his face. For a moment, his hair was long and blond and his eyes were gold. He stumbled back from the mirror, gazing at his short, black hair and dark eyes.

“Are you alright,” Mary asked, drawing Rio’s attention from the mirror.

“You, you shouldn’t be in here,” Rio stated.

“I have to make sure you’re alright,” Mary stated. “Do you like it here?”

“What do you mean,” Rio asked. It felt like his heart was pounding in his throat.

“You enjoy your life here, don’t you,” Mary asked, approaching Rio, running a hand through his short, black hair.

“I guess it’s alright,” Rio stuttered out. “I think I’d prefer fencing over soccer.”

“Well, soccer’s more fun,” Mary stated, leaning close to Rio who pushed her away.

“Do you remember that book my brother let you borrow,” Mary asked, looking into Rio’s eyes. “I need it back.”

“Book,” Rio asked, pondering. “Oh, yeah. I finished reading it.”

“Is that it in your pocket?” Mary pointed to Rio’s pocket where the corner of a small book was sticking out.

“Yeah,” he stated and pulled it out. Something fell out from between the pages and Rio picked it up.

“What is it?”

“A stick,” Rio stated and his eyes went wide as Robert flashed into his mind. He stood abruptly and backed away from Mary.

“No, I promised to give the book back to Robert myself,” Rio stated. “I’d better keep the promise.”

“You don’t need to keep that promise,” Mary said, approaching Rio. “I’ll be sure he gets his book back.”

“No, I ought to return it myself,” Rio answered, turning away from Mary.

“NO!” Mary suddenly appeared in front of Rio. Her long, white hair and long dress fluttered around her.

\---

Rio shot up and looked around. He was in that house's kitchen, leaning against the cupboards. “Bad dream?”


End file.
